Alexandria

Alexandria

Alexandria:-

was founded in 332 BC by Alexander the Great,then 24 years old,and is one of the 34 cities named after the great conqueror.

The new city designed by the architect Deinokrates, Greek culture lived side by side pharaonic civilization,and the interaction of these two worlds gave rise to a new culture known as "Alexandrian" that quickly spread over the entire Mediterranian area.Alexandria was called the "African Athens" and became the capital of Egypt during the reign of the Ptolemaic dynasty, named after its founder ptolemay I (305-282 BC),

Who took power after the death of Alexander the Great.

The city retained this role until the death of the last sovereign,Cleopatra VII,in 30 BC ,when Egypt became a Roman provice.

The star sights :-

â˜…Qaitbay Fort:- the fort of Sultan Qaitbay is one of the symbols of Alexandria,it was built on the ancient island of Pharos,over the ruins of the world-famous lighthouse in 1477-1480 AD.

â˜…The Serapeum and Pompey's Pillar:- on the site of the ancient temple of Serapis (local god of Alexandria) there is the tallest column,carved out of a block of red granite,the column erroneously attributed to Pompey.

â˜…The Roman Odeum (theatre):-the small Roman odeum at Kom al-Dikka dates from the 4th century AD and originally had a roof,its tiers could accommodate 600 spectators.

â˜…The Catacombs of Kom al-Shuqafa:-the most important hypogeum in Alexandria,the Kom al-Shuqafa catacombs date from the 2nd century ADAnd their decoration is the result of the fusion of Hellenistic and pharaonic elements so typical of Alexandrian art and culture.

â˜…Bibliotheca Alexandrina:- founded in the 3rd century BC,it was the greatest library in the ancient world,attracting the best international scholars.

The library and cultural centre was re-inaugurated in October 2002.

â˜…National Museum of Alexandria:- inaugurated in 2003, The National Museum of Alexandria displays over 1800 artifacts.